Four kilometres off the Antarctic mainland on East Ongul Island, the research facility known as Showa Station stands as the starting point where researchers from Japan long ago began unlocking the various mysteries of the atmosphere, including studies of the ozone layer. The station has since become a resource for the Japan Meteorological Agency, the National Institute of Polar Research and other organisations -- and at any given time, 30 researchers are engaged in observations and analysis. The facility is even home to a ham radio club station of the Japan Amateur Radio League, and members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition team call QRZ using the callsign 8J1RL.
Starting this month and through to next January, the amateur radio action shifts north to Japan itself, where a different callsign is the one to listen for. Hams throughout Japan will be calling CQ as 8J7ØJARE. staring on the 22nd of May. Hams - who know well the importance of understanding the atmosphere - are paying tribute to the expedition's 70th anniversary and the team's establishment of this important research site. The on-air tribute will continue through to the 29th of January, 2027 - the date that marks the station's 70th anniversary.
